The month of Elul has just began. Elul is a time of introspection and soul-searching. As the old year draws to a close, we take stock of our behaviour and make amends for any wrongs we may have committed. In preparation for the New Year, we conduct an honest assessment of our conduct, that we may be aroused to repentance and improvement of our Divine service.
During Elul, a Jew can almost sense the difference in the air. Everyone feels an inexplicable urge to draw closer to G-d, to increase in Torah and mitzvot.
The G-dly soul that every Jew possesses automatically pulls him in the direction of holiness. However, there are two basic ways to motivate a person: the "carrot" and the "stick." Fear of punishment may yield the desired results, but it usually causes more damage than benefit.
Historically, it was against this backdrop that the Chassidic movement led by the Baal Shem Tov and his disciples first arose. In those days, other camps led by itinerant preachers would "put the fear of G-d" into simple Jews by vividly describing the punishments that would befall them if they did not walk the straight and narrow.
The Chassidic approach, however, is the exact opposite. The Baal Shem Tov emphasised the innate worth of every Jew, the value of serving G-d with purity of heart, the immense power of prayer and the beauty of the Jewish soul.
In Elul, G-d's Thirteen Attributes of Mercy are manifested with particular intensity. It should thus be a time of only emphasising the positive and increasing our love for our fellow Jew. In the merit of our good deeds (especially the mitzvah of charity), each and every one of us will be found deserving, and G-d will inscribe us together with all the righteous for a most blessed year.
